Teacher Talk: What It Really Means

This book is very short and quick to read. And that's good. The authors, however, recommend touching students, and that's bad (or worse).

If I had to pick one book that I am the most glad I bought (when it comes to teaching), it would be this one. The book is broken down into short chapters (a page or two long.) Each chapter addresses a different 'saying' that you might use in your classroom. Some are thing you hear ALL the time, and would never think they would be harmful to the students. This book is a quick read--it's easy to break it up into small parts. Overall, I don't know how ANYONE could be sorry that they bought this book.

This book should be in the hands of every teacher. The authors patiently go through most of the phrases that teachers use DAILY with children and explain their effects on the students. They detail how to make teacher responses better and how to make the talk with children more effective, more humane, and more supportive. This book was published fairly long ago, but the information is as relevant as if it had been published yesterday.

While searching for bibliography for one of my workshops, I came across this wonderful book which focuses on almost every aspect of the teaching-learning situation. It is a must for new teachers as well as the old, great for parents too. If any one book can raise awareness of the impact that the language patterns we use in the classroom have upon our students, this is definitely the one.